Over the past few weeks, fuel prices have been on a steady climb upwards. Petrol shot up by almost five pence per litre over the month to mid-June – the second highest monthly rise on record.

“This rise is only two-thirds of a penny short of the 5.61 pence per litre record – at the same time last year,” noted the AA when the figures emerged.

Diesel is also getting more expensive – albeit at a slightly lower rate – and it remains a pricier choice overall.

It’s all down to rising demand for crude – earlier this month, the price of crude oil exceeded $70 a barrel for the first time since December 2008, with US light crude reaching $71.09 a barrel and London Brent crude reaching $70.47 a barrel.

It’s at times like this that being a fuel card holder really starts to pay off. Card holders pay bunker rather than pump prices for their fuel even when filling up on the forecourt – and the difference between the two can be as much as 5p. When applied to fleets, this difference really starts to mount up.

Average spending of £400 on fuel per vehicle per calendar month could mean monthly savings of £25 or more – that’s at least £300. Multiply by the number of vehicles in your fleet for substantial savings!